Washington: The United States is providing China with satellite imagery of reservoirs, roads and bridges damaged in the earthquake that devastated southwestern Sichuan province, the Pentagon said today.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is expected to provide the first of the imagery today if weather permits, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.

"They have asked the United States for some imagery of damaged reservoirs, roads, and bridges and the National Geospatial-Intelligence agency (NGA) is providing resources to give them that type of support," he said.

China paved the way for the heightened level of cooperation over the weekend by allowing two US Air Force C-17 transport planes to fly in to Changdou, China with food, water, containers, blankets, generators, and various types of handtools.

An estimated 71,000 people are dead, missing or buried a week after a powerful earthquake struck southwestern China.

Source : PTI